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Old 09-01-2008, 06:28 AM   #3
Cloudsurfer
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Posts: 1,400
Opinions on this are going to vary, but let me give my $.02.

You want the car in a climate controlled environment, temperature AND humidity if at all possible. Before it goes in, give it a VERY good cleaning, and make sure the interior is DRY before you close it up. Adding a few bags of desiccant to the interior is not a bad idea either. I would NOT drain all the fluids, as this allows moisture to condense in places it should not be (like the crankcase). Change all the fluids, but most importantly the engine oil, just before putting it away. Likewise, fill the fuel tank with premium fuel and a good stabilizer. Run the car for a few min to ensure the stabilizer gets into the fuel system and not just the tank.

Jacking the car to allow full suspension travel has its benefits and problems. Its great for the springs and tires to get the weight off them for extended periods, problem is, doing so exposes sections of suspension that are normally "covered" as the car sags under its own weight. This can allow corrosion of these areas. You want to inflate tires to their maximum pressure, unless you are in need of new tires and are planning to do that once the car comes out of storage. A compromise might be to gently jack the car to remove a good portion of the weight, but not fully unload it.

Something else to think about it, would be getting some oil into the cylinders to prevent the rings from corroding themselves to the cylinder walls.

Obviously, cover the car with a car cover, and if you question security, one the locks is great.

Storing a car for this long requires careful preparation if you want it to be happy when you return.

Patrick
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